Busy Hands...Do they really Work? And a P2 "Cookie" Recipe!

Have you ever heard of keeping your hands busy so you stay away from the cookie jar? Or just anything you can get said hands onto?

I think I found a flaw... No I'm serious! I think it only works when you don't have children and a husband around to ask for and make oatmeal craisin cookies with white chocolate chips piled high! So even though my hands were seriously busy making various creations of Awesomeness I kept finding myself grabbing cookies on my way from heaven only knows where up to my studio. Then again when I was on my way out to my glass shop I looked down and wouldn't you know it! Hands full of cookies again! FLAW! I was so totally busy today and yesterday. But apparently I was also totally busy eating every stinking cookie in sight too! LOL

"Queen Bee" Vintage Glass Shadowbox Stained Glass Pendant 

Proof that I was indeed busy making things not just eating cookies!

BACK to my theory. I think that if we have busy hands that the other hands in the house cannot be busy making delicious cookies at the same time. That needs to go down in the Rule Book. Don't you think? 

So how does this work for HCG? Not so good. No Cookies while on HCG. It's very important! 

This poses a question for P2 HCG and Treats...

Is a meringue cookie ok on P2?

If you're allowed to have eggs occasionally on P2 then it would be easy to assume you could have meringues. Right? RIGHT! If you're needing a quick cookie fix the meringue might be your go to treat now and again. 

Egg whites are about 15 calories each. With the yolk they are 80 calories. Remember that if you eat a whole egg that there is fat in those yellow beauties! That's why it's suggested in Pounds and Inches to only eat them occasionally. (It also says to add the whites of 3 eggs to make a protein.)

There are 8 calories in cream of tartar & 1.8 carbs.

So have cookies...of sorts...Meringue Cookies! 

Meringue recipe for P2

3 Egg whites

1/8tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract.

(This is where you can use your Vanilla flavored Stevia. Use it to taste...Don't eat raw eggs. But use your knowledge of your Stevia. For me I use vanilla and then powdered stevia from Trader Joes.)

4-6 packets Stevia (I use 6 because I like them sweet!)

*Now you can add your flavor:

*Lemon Zest

*Cocoa Powder

*Even Orange!

You could even use your flavored Stevia Drops in place of the Stevia and Vanilla.

The possibilities are endless for variety! 

Heat oven to 300

Whip egg whites and cream of tartar and Vanilla/Stevia until fluffy stiff peaks are formed. Then fold in your flavor if you chose to use cocoa powder, lemon zest etc. 

Now if you use the powder stevia you will mix them in with the egg mix after they have formed soft peaks. Then whip until they have formed stiff peaks. Then fold in your flavor.

Use a teaspoon to drop little dollops onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and then back for 25-30 min. 

That's It! :) Enjoy!

I'll have to take a photo of my Meringues to share with you! Recipes are great but they're even better when you can see what you're making. ;) Let me know how you like your meringues!

Man I wish February would hurry and get here! I can't wait to start my next round of HCG. We decided that it might be better to wait until after our Birthday to start. You know, Birthday Cake...I don't know why I love the stuff but I do! 

Have a Great Week Guys! I've got something good to share with you next week!

Sabrina

HCG P2 (phase 2) Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Happy Sunday Guys!

(that's me and Stevie Ray watching Rise of the Guardians today)

Finally took down all the Christmas decorations. Sigh... I love Christmas and all the decorations that come with it! 
Here's part of what was tucked away until next Christmas...

  

The Mantle

Here's a Closeup for you. Those are Bottle Brush Trees I decorated and a Waterless Snowglobe I created for my etsy shop, The VintiqueBoutique. It's hard to see the definition of the trees and globe but they really did add that special charm to the mantle this year. The rest of the garland is decorated with vintage silver tinsel garland, lots of mercury glass ornaments, a couple of glass church ornaments and some clip on bird ornaments. There's lots more than I've listed but I'm sure you're really thinking, "Why is she going on and on about this?! Weirdo!" I told you I love Christmas and most of all the Decorations that go with it. I really really do! LOL

Here's the entryway decoration. Again, some bottle brush trees that I made this year, a silver platter behind an old photo of my mom when she was little. In front of that is a cute little metal case with a silver rattle, silver spoon and a miniature mason jar ornament. In front of that is another silver plate with a cool turquoise plate topped with a doily and a bird. 

 ~ A Much Needed Break ~

So after the decorations were sorted and almost packaged I decided it was time for a break!
I ran to meet a friend of mine at one of our local coffee shops for a fun visit and to give her a chance to go through some of the jewelry I have created from my beads so she could pick out a few gifts and a present for herself. 

~ Oh Yeah! Coffee My Friend! ~

The best thing about the coffee shop is that it's totally on my HCG diet protocol! Seriously!!! I always order a 16oz Americano with room for cream. Today I added some sugar free White Chocolate that made the total calories of that drink under 90.

~ Sugar free doesn't mean Calorie Free! ~

How do I know this you ask? Well, I read their bottle way back in my first round. I had always thought of sugar free as being no or very low calories. Not so true. Most sugar free syrups still have calories. In fact they have the almost if not the same amount of calories as the good stuff.

Click the photo to see the nutritional facts for Torani SF White Chocolate Sauce. 

This isn't the only SF sauce/syrup on the market. But it is the most used at the coffee shops...at least around here. This is why when I'm doing a round of HCG I stay away from those syrups. I have however found a replacement! Nope! Not joking!

~I can have Chocolate Sauce without the Guilt and Calories?!~

Ever hear of Walden Farms? This is a Seriously Awesome company with some super treats with no guilt what so ever!!! What does this have to do with coffee? Want a Mocha? You can have it while you're in Phase 2! No, really!!! I'm truly not joking at all!

Don't believe me? Here! Look! :) You're going to love me forever!!! I just know it!!!

Walden Farms

Ok so this doesn't taste like the real stuff BUT it's good! And it really is Chocolate! This delicious treat is made from plant cellulose and that's why it's fat and calorie free just like shirataki noodles. Add some to your next coffee and enjoy!

If you're seriously jonesing for Chocolate Ice Cream here's what I do to create some Calorie free Chocolate Ice Cream that's perfect for P2!

~ P2 Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe ~

You'll need a magic bullet to blend this up in. 

Get the medium blendy cup and fill it 3/4 full of ice (crushed)

Now pour water in there about 1/3 full

Add some Walden Farms Calorie Free Chocolate Syrup 

Blend, shake, blend again until it's smooth and creamy!

If you haven't used your milk/cream for your coffee for the day yet you can use it here to make it creamy. 

I've done this in my food processor as well but the bullet makes it smoother. This is something you can do on every phase! Yummy!

Ok, that's it for tonight!

Sabrina

Happy 2014! Time to do another round of HCG!

Hi all!!!
It's hard to believe it's already a new year and we survived Christmas! PHEW!

With the new year everyone always makes the resolution to loose weight, change some habit or some crazy thing. I've never done the new year resolutions myself. I take that back! I used to do it way back in the day and thought for sure I'd have to follow through because it's a new year therefore I'd have more resolve and even more sticking power! Untold amounts of determination and willpower would be mine because it was a new year and a resolution dang it! Nope...no go. So I decided it wasn't in my stars if you will to do resolutions, therefore resolutions are out the window along with each old year and I look forward to the new year with the same excitement as I did the last! So much better for the self confidence! So very much better!

What do I do you ask? Well, I make goals. Nothing new is it. People around the world for years upon years have been making goals since the beginning of time. And they make them all year long. Yep! Me too!

I think the trick to making goals is that you have to be reasonable with yourself when you make them. If you have a HUGE goal then break it down into smaller attainable goals so you can build yourself up with the feeling of accomplishment and see yourself standing taller with each and every goal you've met!

My ultimate goal with my weight change is to reach a zone. By this I mean when I reach an area between 120 and 135 I've accomplished my ultimate goal. I've broken that one up over the years and have met each goal eventually. Not without struggle at first. But let me tell you it's been so much easier since I've added HCG to my goal party!

When I started out working on my Ultimate goal with all my little goals I actually was only looking at it as "Oh! If I could only loose 20 pounds I'd be so happy with myself!" Well, that worked and it didn't.

At my heaviest I was 224...but I'm definitely sure I was more because when I hit that number I stopped weighing myself and it had been a few months after that when all hell broke loose in my happy little digestive tract. I ended up in the hospital for several days while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me. Trying to figure out why I was in so much pain when I even drank a tiny bit of water. They did a few tests, blood work, MRI's, CT scans etc. to come to the conclusion that I had Crohn's Disease.

That was a day I'd never forget! First of all I had only heard of that through my friend who's mom had it and she was in and out of the hospital having her guts cut out all the time! No way did I want that. And I seriously wanted out of the hospital before they even thought of cutting out any of my guts. Gag!

From there I lost a bunch of weight because I couldn't eat but the joy of the weight loss was totally not there because I hadn't weighed myself since I saw the scale at 224 and I told the hospital staff that I didn't want to know what it was. Not to mention it was in a way not really weight loss that I worked at. I couldn't eat. That doesn't count. At least it didn't until I changed the way I was eating...not by choice mind you but by necessity. I noticed that certain foods hurt to eat so I stayed away from them. I was after all trying to cure myself from Crohn's Disease.

In and out of the doctor's office arguing with him and telling him that I didn't need the meds that I didn't have this disease etc. Him telling me that eventually I'd have to suck it up and realize that I did. Back and forth, back and forth. Finally he agreed to send me into have a tube stuck down my throat and one up my rear to see if he could find more evidence that I did have Crohn's. Wham Bam Thank You Mam and I was out with the great news that all was clear and that I am considered in remission (that was 5 years ago and I'm still clear!)

The long and short of it~ During that transition I went from way over that 224 mark down to 197. Super cool huh! Once I saw it on the scale it was. Then you all know what happened next, right?! I gained some weight back. That's how it goes...loose, gain...scream and cry about it then drown yourself in more food and start the cycle all over again once you've come to your senses.

Finally I cut that crap out. I discovered HCG. This was back when Costco was selling the real stuff in drops. My first round ever I went from 209 to 187. This was AWESOME! I was so excited I ended up ordering more drops and trying another round. Not so good the next round. I ended up not loosing a thing and cheating my way through that round. But I did discover a little thing that made me feel better. The drops that I ordered were the NEW drops that didn't have the hormone in them. So that made me feel much better. But I didn't do another round...I take that back. I'd buy the drops and try. They really didn't work so it was more of a struggle and seriously painful to my psyche. No more drops.

Then when my pants were getting tight I thought it might be a good idea to ask my doctor about getting some help. I was back up into my 190's maybe cresting that 200 mark here and there. But my doctor said I should just look at how I ate and work it out. She didn't believe in medicinal weightloss aids. "What?! But you'd prescribe someone a gastric bypass?!" Her answer was that it was a totally different thing and that I wasn't an ideal candidate. Well DUH!

So I chewed on that for a while and one night while searching the internet trying to find "real HCG" I stumbled on some! Yay Me!!! I was so excited!!! Still am! Now I have my HCG source and I'm flying high!

I ordered some and when it arrived I did my first round of injections and dropped 24lbs! Not only in weight did I change but I went from a size 14 (super tight) but to a 10! and even an 8 in some jeans! HOLEY MOLEY!!! Seriously Awesome! My first round was so much easier with the injections than with the initial drops I had purchased. You would not believe the inches that disappeared off my waist and legs! OMG! Amazing!

That made me thrilled to do another round!

Got the shots. Did the loading! Yes!

This was what I was soooo looking forward to when I was on my first round! All the chocolate frosting, cakes, sugar! you name it I was so planning on eating it! If it was sugary sweet it had my name on it. Then started round 2.

Ugg...round 2 sucked! I lost only 8 lbs of which I've gained all of it back. So sad! Christmas gave me even more reason to eat those sugary confections! It's a bit depressing when I look at that scale and it no longer says 153 but 162. Oh hey! That's 1 lb more than I started my second round at! DAMN! Why did this happen?! I think I know why. Or I have a theory about it...

I think that when I gave myself permission to eat breads and sugars I put my brain back into the eat it all mode. I released the Kracken! That Sugary Chocolate Cakey and Pizza Eating Kracken! I'm thinking I'm a junk food addict... And that by allowing myself access to my drug of choice I opened up the flood gates to hell and dove in willingly.

I've been doing a lot of research on the HCG diet. There are some that do what's called a "Clean" loading as opposed to the regular loading we've all come to call the "gorging on everything you want" phase. This "Clean" loading consists of fats and carbs by other means than pastries and ice cream.  You'd instead load on a fatty meat and eat your sides with lots of buttery goodness. Staying away from those trigger foods, like cookies (my favorites!) and cakes. So this round now that I've seen what an almost 10 pound gain looks like on my legs and gut, I'll be loading "clean"! I've started the process already by cutting out masses of cookies and junk like that....I say this while I pop one of those chocolate covered cherries in my mouth. This is after I've eaten my dinner of a delicious sausage link (think brat! Delicious and juicy filled with fatty goodness. This is the real deal baby!) on a bun. Really...I need to get myself under control. I'm good all day until I get home. AND it's way too late to be eating. Sheesh!

But really. I've eaten better this past week than I was. So I'm on the path to goodness. I swear!

(Did I tell you how that gain feels? I have to wear a uniform for work. The new uniform I have is smaller because I shrank a bunch! It was loose and oh so comfortable...not so much now. I feel like a stuffed sausage! I had to wear my belt on the next hole out. My shirt is tight. I have big boobs as it is but this is like popping the buttons tight. Seriously! Watch your eyes when you're around me. I could possibly blow one of those babies off my shirt at any moment without warning! AND! I can see pudge on my sides and back hanging over my belt!!! Time to remedy that.)

So for my first goal of 2014 I will be experiencing my first Clean loading phase for my third round of HCG. I'll be spending the next couple weeks ridding my body and home of breads and all the other yummy trigger foods that are just sitting there saying "You know you want a bite!" and "It's only one..." Or! "If nobody sees you eat me it doesn't count." Yes! Food does talk like that! I swear it! Stop and listen to it once in a while. ;) You'll be amaaaazed! LOL

I will get beginning weight and measurements so you can see where I am at and how it's going. Hopefully I'll have time daily to enter it on here along with a rundown of my meals for the day. I'll post a beginning photo too.  Those are always fun to use for comparison. And I'll add a few recipes to help spice things up. I do have a "peanut" sauce that is totally To Die For! It's great on chicken and spinach! Yes, that kind of peanut sauce! BUT this one is a guilt free version. And I'm not kidding. It's totally absolutely 100% guilt free! This one is a phase 1 sauce! No joke! :)

Anyone else out there doing a round of HCG right now or planning on starting one soon? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you!
Sabrina

HCG P2VLCD 16 ~ Week 2 Done and onto Week 3!

That week went fast and yet oh so slow!

I spent the whole week wondering what was causing my weight stall and then 1.6 lb gain. Such a frustrating feeling to see the scale go up when you're doing so much work towards the total opposite! Steak day didn't help...Apple day didn't cut it either...I was at a total loss. Then it dawned on me! BAM!!! Yes! Just Like That! I bet it's TOM! 

What's TOM? Yes, it's another acronym. This program is seriously full of them! This one happens to stand for Time Of the Month. So There you have it! You're now in the know! And heaven help you when you're stuck with a week like mine. 

I think it would have been a bit better if I had actually realized what was going on. I've seen it before with my last round. Because I did a long session I was able to see 2 TOM's with it. And my body acted just the same way. Stalled for a couple days before it started then a gain of 2 lbs and then a few days later dropped the 2 lbs and started freeing more weight like normal. PHEW!

So basically Week 2 was a total loss of 2 lbs. But that's ok! I measured my waist and legs... 

I've lost 1 inch from my waist and each leg! Seriously!!! Isn't that awesome?! 

While I was busy freaking out about the scale staling and then moving the wrong direction my body was still changing in a positive direction. Remember when I said the diet was called Pounds and Inches? Well, I experienced the "Inches" part while the "Pounds" were not cooperating. That's a Yay for me!

I have to admit I had cravings like nobody's business. OMG (that's Oh My Gawd!)!!! I sooo needed chocolate! Chocolate! CHOCOLATE! And that wasn't it! But I settled for Chocolate. Everyone talks about Chocolate Delight so I finally broke down and made some! Yummy! I'm so glad I did! It was perfect for the chocolate cravings and since it has coconut oil as the base that in some weird way doesn't count. Wonder why that is... Some say it's because of how our bodies process coconut oil is different than how it processes dairy or animal fats. I suppose with more research I can find the answer. But until then, I'm thrilled that it works like a charm for serious cravings!

How do you make Chocolate Delight? Here's the way I made mine:

1c Coconut Oil (melted)

3/4 to 1c Cocoa Powder Unsweetened

Stevia to taste I used 10 packets

Add cocoa powder to melted oil and then add stevia. I also added a touch of vanilla. I'd say it was about 1/2 tsp.
After it's mixed well pour it onto a parchment paper lined pan and put in the freezer. You could even pour it into the mini cupcake cups for individual servings.
Put it in the freezer and do something to keep you occupied for about 45 min! Once it's frozen take it out, break off a piece and enjoy!

I bet you can add some flavored stevia drops to make it taste even yummier! 

Fingers crossed for a Great Week 3!!!

See you in a few days!

Sabrina

HCG P2VLCD 7 ~ Week 1 Done!

When I last left you I was working on my last day of loading and going into the VLCD Phase 2 part of the HCG program.

Well since then I'm on R2-P2-VLCD7. I've released 4.2lbs (or 6.6lbs depending on how you want to count it all. Stats are at the bottom). My waist has gone down 1/2 inch already! And that's only with a 4lb change! Crazy!!!

When you look at what the diet is called, Pounds and Inches, it truly does what it says. You not only loose pounds but also inches. Those inches are noticeable inches at that and it's visible right away to boot! It's just amazing! I can't begin to tell you with words the feeling you get when you look in the mirror every morning and see results. If you don't see it on the scale you still see it in that mirror.

I suppose we should talk results for a bit. When you jump on the scale and only see a change of .2 or .4 after all the effort you're making it kinda hits you where it hurts. Am I right? But remember, it's not called Pounds and Inches for nothing. That title is very significant! While the scale says your effort only afforded you a slight shift on the scale or no shift at all your body still changed. Your body is still moving the abnormal fat stores out of your system. This is the inches part of it.

If it helps measure yourself every week. I measure only one thing weekly, mainly my waist or legs. I will do a full measure about every 2 weeks. That way I can chart the results and see the measurable difference in my body for the work I've done. If you want to see the results more often measure once a week, but not every day. You'll only frustrate yourself when you have a day where you're bloated and the measurements go up. Pick a regular time and day of the week and stick to that. I measure after I weigh usually on a Sunday because that's what works for me and I can't wait to see my effort pay off!

How about when the scale goes up? Same thing but only worse in some aspects. I'm not going to tell you to not take it seriously when the scale goes up. You should, but not in the aspect of you now have to starve yourself for the next day or two. No. I'm going to say don't fret the small stuff. Figure out what you ate or drank the previous day. Was there a salty dish? Did you eat broccoli? (Yes I said broccoli. We'll get into that one later.) Once you figure out what it possibly was make that day a Steak day!

You really won't believe how beneficial steak really is on this diet. I've always been amazed at how when I've stuffed myself on steak my scale drops by .5 or more! It doesn't seem like it would but it really does. I usually have a big steak and a tomato for dinner and the next morning I'll see results. Why isn't fish or chicken the same? I have no clue but they don't work the same for me. Maybe they will for you. If so let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Ok, remember the little comment on Broccoli a few paragraphs above? Weird thing about broccoli and cauliflower...this happens when I eat it, every time, without fail...I don't free any weight. Nothing. I have no clue why but each and every time I eat those two the scale doesn't move. Not just for the next day but a couple days. I didn't realize this was what was causing it until I did some reading on the subject. But if you read on it you'll discover that they're one of those foods that you should eat very little of. Limit your serving to a couple pieces. If you're an experimenter and want to see what happens for you and your body please share your results with me. Maybe it's only certain people who experience the stall with that vegetable. However, my daughter and I have both experienced this weird phenomenon.

Here are my first week stats:

*side note* I always weigh myself in the morning.
                   Gorge phase is also known as P1
R2Gorge Day 1 Starting weight 161.4
R2P1D2 ~ +1.4lbs
VLCD1 ~ +.9lb (remember this is the result of my gorge day the day before)
VLCD2 ~ -1lb
VLCD3 ~ -2.2lbs
VLCD4 ~ -1.5lbs
VLCD5 ~ -.6lb
VLCD6 ~ +.2lb (salty food the day before)
VLCD7 ~ -1.5lbs

So, while I have actually free'd 6.6lbs total since I started P2 of this diet I've really changed my weight from gorge day 1 to vlcd7 by 4.2lbs. But in all reality I have free'd 6.6lbs in the first week! I personally only count the 4.2 so I don't feel the gain. ;) Know what I'm saying? ;)

More acronyms:
P1 - phase 1 also known as the gorge phase
P2 - phase 2 the low calorie phase
P3 - phase 3 the maintenance phase
P4 - The Rest of Your Life

I thought I'd clarify the difference between P3 and P4. They are definitely different phases but both are meant to maintain your weight.
P2 is called the maintenance phase but what really happens in this phase is keeping the weight you have plus or minus 2 lbs while only eating 1000-1500 calories. This is a VERY important part of the HCG program. Without this phase you'll quickly gain back all that weight if you don't adhere strictly to the instructions for this phase. In a nutshell you're spending the next 3-6 weeks training your body to eat and stay the same weight. You're going to still limit sugars and starches. But you're going to up your protein intake to include things like nuts, different meats etc. Make sense?

For P4 you're going to slowly add things in the starches and sugars category. You're still going to watch your weight to make sure you're not going above that 2lb mark. It's very important that you keep to this! While you may think a pound doesn't make a difference, you're wrong. On the scale it doesn't but on your body it does! Remember the difference between what a lb of fat looks like size wise compared to a lb of muscle?
Here's a couple of photos to remind you:

 1lb of fat

 5lb and 1lb of fat

5, 10, 15 and 20lbs of fat. 

Remember when you look at these that you remember the size reference of the 1lb in the first photo then of the 1lb next to the 5lb. That will help you in visualizing what you've free'd from your body.

See that last one? The 20lb one? I've free'd almost 2 of those from my body already following the HCG Protocol!

I'm not going to lie to you. The last couple days I've been craving Chocolate anything like a crazy fool! I've had to resort to drinking lots of water and using my favorite fall back ~ "Ice cream!" It's not the real deal but it works when you're really wanting something you need to avoid. 

Here's my recipe:

1c crushed ice

2 tbs 1/2 & 1/2

Walden Farms Chocolate Sauce to taste

Water if needed.

Blend ( I use my magic bullet for the chocolate slushy "ice cream")

Now here's the cool part:

If you're a fruit lover you can do frozen fruit. Put those strawberries in the processor and blend until they look like powder then add:

Stevia

Water

1/2&1/2

Blend until thick and creamy! Yummy!!! 

You can also cut it with crushed ice to make more because you'll still feel like you're eating ice cream and the fruit will still taste good. I'll even add a touch of vanilla or cinnamon! 

This really helps when you're craving sweets and nothing is working. 

Look at WaldenFarms.com for all kinds of Sugar and Calorie Free treats, salad dressings and condiments. They really help me feel like I'm getting what I'm craving without the guilt. My salads are awesome with salad dressing! Guilt Free Salad Dressing!!! Yay!!!

Now on to week 2!

HCG R2D2 Still Loading

R2D2
Looks weird doesn't it? It's not a Star Wars thing. It actually stands for Round 2 Day 2.

Tomorrow will be even crazier! It will be the beginning of my very low calorie portion of this round. So the acronym will look like this~ R2VLCD1 ~meaning Round 1 Very Low Calorie Day 1. There are a gazillion more acronym's that go with this program and I'm still learning them. As I do I'll share them with you.

What is loading you ask? Well, for HCG you do 2 days of high calories/fats to saturate your system and help you in the transition from the high calorie/fats diet you usually eat to the very restricted 500 calorie low fat diet you're going to be living with for the next couple months.

Some people do what is called clean loading. Most of those people are prior HCGer's and have done a couple rounds before and have used the maintenance phase to adapt their eating lifestyle to a low or no wheat, sugar, carbs and fat diet. (Diet~ remind me to find a different more positive word to use in place of that 4 letter word.) When they load they do more of a high nuts and fiber loading than a loading phase that has all the Oh So Yummy but Oh So Bad for you things like Cupcakes with lots of delicious frosting. Bet you can't guess where my taste buds are leading me today.

Anyway, as far as how my first day of loading went, I'd say it went deliciously! I actually ate a sub sandwich! Yes you heard me right! I ate BREAD!!! OMG! Yes, it was delicious! But oh how my tummy hurt. Oh and there were cookies!!! Oatmeal Chocolate Chip! Yummy! Oh how my tummy hates me today. But settle down tummy...The second day of loading has arrived and there are still cookies left in that jar AND pizza pockets in the oven!

I don't know if I'm doing my psyche more harm by eating all these yummy treats or if my tummy is taking the beating for naught. We'll see...

Did I gain any weight with the loading phase? Yes, I've gained a pound. But the cool thing is, is that the single pound I added will be gone in a matter hours when I start the VLCD phase tomorrow.

Right now those pizza bites are done and I need to run my youngest to the mall to meet his girlfriend for a double date at the movies!

My HCG Journey Round 2

Have you ever had one of those days where you swear you put it "here" but for some weird reason it's not? Well, that's kinda what today is. Kinda...

I started posting about my HCG journey and saved the blog post because I had more to add to it later when I had more time. Well, where that blog entry went when I saved it is beyond me. So I'll just start a new post. It's probably a good thing anyway as today marks the first Loading day of my second round of HCG. I'm excited and ready to see the fat melt away!

No, it's not an exaggeration! The fat literally melts off you while you're taking the HCG injections/drops. It's amazing! No, it's not an easy road but it really does pay off dramatically if you stick to it.

Here, take a look at the results from my first round:

Sure you can't see the rest of me but believe me it's there! So that's me at 190+ pounds and my daughter at approximately the same weight. We started our HCG Round 1 Journey on June 17th this year. Within the first week I dropped 7.5 lbs and she dropped roughly the same. After that the weight seemed to slowly drop for me. A half pound here a full pound there. By the end I had released a total of 28.6 lbs. Today I weighed in at 161.4 lbs. I've maintained my weight for the summer and am ready to start on my next round. 

Here's the best photo I could find that shows you the difference in my face:

Quite a difference isn't it! :) Yay Me!!!

So along with the changing number on the scale was the visible difference in the size of my clothes! I went from a size 14 (tight fit!) to a size 8! Seriously!!! I went down 7.5 inches on my waist alone! AMAZING!!!

And before you ask why my boobs are still big...the answer is simple...They're augmented. They're always going to be that size. :) Thank heavens! I paid good money for those! I want to keep them!

So you're wondering what made me decide to do HCG? Well, I had done one round a couple years ago and dropped weight like it was going out of style. This was before they pulled the plug on having the hormones in the sublingual drops so I had the real deal for that round. After that I did a subsequent round and failed miserably.

Why? Why? Oh Why?!!! That's exactly what I was crying! The reason is because they opted for a homeopathic replacement for the hormone that the FDA agreed on. This new drop formulation didn't work. I was hungry, cranky, depressed and not loosing the weight I so desperately wanted to loose. So I opted for putting on my big girl pants and moved on and lived my life as I was.

Not so good when your pants are tight and you're starting to fit into those old pants you held onto after you lost that weight in the first place. Nope nope nope! So I did some research and reading and decided if the only way to get the real HCG again was to order the injections or sublingual drops that cost an arm and a leg I was going to bite the bullet. If I don't invest in my health I wouldn't have a good future. Besides being and eating the way I was was hurting me. It was reverting my gastro issues back to those of my past when I was diagnosed with Crohn's and then later had my gallbladder removed. Not a good situation for me or my family. So I ordered the injectable HCG and roped my daughter into joining me!

I have to say that at first it was a slight struggle to get over the thought of sticking a needle in myself daily. But it is such a tiny needle and I honestly don't feel it. It was easier and easier every morning when I got up and the first thing I did was give myself my daily dose and grabbed my cup of coffee. It just became routine.

Side affects? Nope. None. Unless you count lack of hunger. After the first few days the cravings subsided. I no longer craved sugar the way I had before. Sure I needed sweets, but I switched my sweet fix to a sweet fruit fix using Stevia as my sugar! I learned how to make ice cream out of frozen fruit, stevia and water. Yummy! I also found sugar and calorie free chocolate sauce to make smoothies, milkshakes and ice cream with. I also figured out how much more sugar content and caloric content that milk had versus half and half. Wow! Add a couple tablespoons to your ice, chocolate sauce and water in a blender and BAM! Yummy chocolate shake! Anyway! Waaaayyy off subject! I didn't crave because I found substitutes for my regular treats so I didn't feel deprived. I knew I could have something if I need it. And when I ate I was satisfied and full.

This time I've stayed away from wheat products for the sake of my gastro issues, so loading is going to be interesting. I'll let you know how the first couple days go!

Here are a couple photos I just had my daughter take of me. No makeup though so don't freak out!

Round 2 Here We Come!!! :) Yay!!!